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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

Welcome to Day 2 of Tomato Week here at CEK! I love waking up on a Sunday morning, having a cup of tea with my hubby before the kids get up and finding a movie on tv to watch while the house is quiet. A few Sunday's ago, that movie happened to be the 1991 film, Fried Green Tomatoes written by Fannie Flag. I just love this movie and can watch it over and over again, but the thought of making fried green tomatoes intrigued me. I had tried them out years ago and loved them, but never made them again. No real reason, I guess I just forgot. So when my father in law asked me to go pick more of his tomatoes, I grabbed some green ones this time too. I thought a dipping sauce to go with nicely with these and had recently been to Chili's restaurant where I tried some of their avocado dip they served with their southwestern egg rolls. So I cheated here a little bit and made this simple Avocado Ranch dip using bottled ranch dressing. These were crispy and delicious and the cool flavor of the creamy dip against the piping hot tomatoes was incredible! These would make a great appetizer or side dish.

Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce12 Green Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half1/2 c. Flour (I used All-Purpose)Egg wash (1 Egg + splash of 2% Milk)1/2 c. Italian Flavored BreadcrumbsCanola Oil, for fryingDirections:1. Prepare three separate bowls for the flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs. 2. First dip the tomato halves into the flour, then into the egg wash, and finally the breadcrumbs. Repeat for all pieces. 3. Heat some oil in a frying pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. 4. Add the tomatoes and fry 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned. 5. Remove the tomatoes from the pan and drain on paper towels or brown paper bags to remove excess oil. Serve immediately with dipping sauce. Serves 4. Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce1 Avocado1/2 c. Hidden Valley Ranch DressingDirections:1. Cut the avocado in half to remove the pit. 2. Scoop out the insides and add to a mini food processor or blender. 3. Add the ranch dressing and pulse until well blended and creamy. Makes 1 cup. Enjoy! *Tip: Best when served hot, immediately after frying. They didn't reheat well when placed in the microwave.